Cricket: 400-run milestone in Black Caps' sights

That once-fanciful total of 400 is in grave danger of being overhauled in Harare tonight as New Zealand look to brush aside Zimbabwe and post their third consecutive Tri-Series win.

Beaten in the opening match by 192 runs, Zimbabwe were no less hopeless in their second one-day international against India yesterday, losing by 161 runs after being bowled out in 24.3 overs for a mere 65.

In contrast, New Zealand have looked the more settled of the three teams, posting the second-highest ODI total (397 for five) last Wednesday, and then steaming to victory against India on the back of some Shane Bond heroics.

No team has yet managed to eclipse the 400-mark, but New Zealand went perilously close last week in Bulawayo, and but for the reduction of six overs because of a delayed start, would have certainly been the first.

Chances are, if they happen to bat first again this evening, they will push the record again, as Zimbabwe's bowling attack has appeared almost completely harmless in the first two games and is unlikely to cause many problems this time around.

Not even the loss of coach John Bracewell, who left the tour after receiving news of the death of his mother-in-law, is expected to cause any problems for the New Zealanders.

No replacement will be sent for Bracewell, as NZC believes the team will be adequately served by the support staff in their remaining two games - against India on Friday and again on Tuesday in the tournament final.

Zimbabwe's latest hammering at the hands of India came after another feeble batting effort and has served only to renew calls for the International Cricket Council to review their status.

Having performed reasonably creditably with the ball while restricting India to 226, the hosts slumped first against the left-arm pace of Irfan Pathan, who took a career-best five for 27, and then against the seam of Ajit Agarkar, who helped himself to four for 18.

So clueless were the Zimbabwean batsmen that two wickets twice fell in the space of an over, none of the top-order managed double-figures, and the best partnership was the last: 22 between Heath Streak and No 11 Prosper Utseya.

To make matters worse, coach Kevin Curran, appointed at the end of the test series as a replacement for his axed predecessor Phil Simmons, believed the problem lay not so much with a lack of skill and technique, but with a lack of commitment.

"It wasn't the type of fight I'd like to see in any teams that I coach," Curran said afterwards. "The work ethic hasn't been there, and it's going to be a tough job in the coming months.

"A lot of these players have lacked coaching at this level."

For all that, New Zealand will be wary of complacency, having themselves slumped to 36 for five against India, who later found themselves collapsing to 44 for eight before scrambling through to 164.

Highest ODI totals

398-5 (50 overs), Sri Lanka v Kenya, Kandy, 1995/96

397-5 (44 overs), New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, 2005/06

391-4 (50 overs), England v Bangladesh, Nottingham, 2005

376-2 (50 overs), India v New Zealand, Hyderabad, 1999/00

373-6 (50 overs), India v Sri Lanka, Taunton, 1999